You can adapt any knitting pattern to your size by comparing your measurements plus ease to the pattern's finished measurements, then adjusting stitch counts proportionally. With the global yarn market valued at $5.3 billion and growing, more knitters than ever need patterns that fit their unique bodies. This guide covers length adjustments, width modifications, and size blending — or you can use La Maille to generate a pattern for your exact measurements from the start.
Understanding What Needs to Change
Before modifying anything, analyze the gap between the pattern and your body:
Compare your measurements to the pattern's finished measurements:
- Bust circumference
- Body length
- Sleeve length
- Upper arm circumference
- Shoulder width
Note each difference:
- Is it a length issue (easily adjusted)?
- Is it a width issue (more complex)?
- Is it a shaping issue (most complex)?
Length Adjustments: The Easiest Modifications
Length changes are straightforward because they don't affect stitch counts within rows.
Body Length
To add length: Work more rows before starting armhole shaping. In a bottom-up sweater, knit longer before beginning decreases. In top-down, continue the body past where the pattern says to bind off.
To remove length: Work fewer rows. Easy — just stop earlier.
Where to adjust:
- Below the armhole (most common)
- Between hip and waist shaping (if present)
- Never within shaping sections
Calculate: Extra inches × rows per inch = rows to add or remove.
Sleeve Length
To add length: Add rows between cuff and start of sleeve cap shaping (bottom-up) or continue knitting past the pattern's cuff bind-off (top-down).
To remove length: Subtract rows in the same area.
Adjustment impact: If you significantly change sleeve length, you may need to adjust the rate of increases to reach the right upper arm width. More length = spread increases further apart. Less length = work increases more frequently.
Torso Proportions
If you're long-waisted or short-waisted:
- Adjust length between waist shaping and underarm
- Keep armhole depth the same
- This changes where waist shaping hits your body
Width Adjustments: More Complex
Changing width affects stitch counts, which means recalculating shaping.
Adding Width to the Body
At cast on: Add stitches to your cast on, distributed evenly. If the pattern says cast on 200 and you need 10 more stitches for width, cast on 210.
Impact on shaping: More stitches means more to decrease for armholes. Calculate proportionally — if you added 5%, add 5% more armhole decreases.
Removing Width from the Body
At cast on: Subtract stitches proportionally.
Impact on shaping: Fewer stitches means fewer decreases needed. Recalculate armhole shaping.
Width at Specific Points
Sometimes you only need width in one area:
Fuller bust: Add short rows across the front to create bust shaping. This adds length at center front without adding width everywhere.
Broader hips: Add stitches at the hip and gradually decrease to the original stitch count by the waist. You're essentially grading between two sizes.
Narrower shoulders: This is tricky. Consider choosing a smaller size for the yoke and adding width to the body, or look for patterns with adjustable shoulder construction.
Sleeve Adjustments
Upper Arm Width
Sleeves typically increase from cuff to upper arm. To change the upper arm width:
1. Calculate your target: (upper arm measurement + ease) × stitches per inch 2. Compare to the pattern's upper arm stitches 3. Adjust the number of increases (not the cuff — that's usually fine)
Example: Pattern goes from 40 cuff stitches to 70 upper arm stitches (30 increases). You need 80 upper arm stitches. Work 40 increases instead, spread over the sleeve length.
Cap Shaping (Set-In Sleeves)
If you change the upper arm stitches, you'll need to adjust the sleeve cap:
- More stitches = more to bind off and decrease in the cap
- The sleeve cap needs to match the armhole circumference
This is one of the more complex adjustments. If set-in sleeves intimidate you, consider raglan or drop-shoulder constructions, which are more forgiving.
Working Between Sizes
Often your measurements fall between two pattern sizes. Options:
Blend Sizes
Follow size Medium for the bust, size Large for the hips, etc. Mark up your pattern so you know which size to follow in each section.
Watch for: Transition points where sizes meet. You may need to gradually add or remove stitches to bridge the gap.
Interpolate
If Medium is 200 stitches and Large is 220, and you need something in between, cast on 210.
Adjust all proportional instructions the same way.
Documenting Your Changes
Before knitting, write out your modifications:
- New stitch counts for each section
- Adjusted shaping instructions
- Row counts for length changes
This prevents confusion mid-project and gives you a reference for future versions.
Using Technology for Adaptations
Pattern adaptation requires math and careful attention. If calculations aren't your strength, tools exist to help:
Spreadsheets: Set up formulas to calculate stitch counts from measurements and gauge.
Pattern adjustment calculators: Various online tools help with specific modifications.
Custom pattern generation: Tools like La Maille skip the modification problem entirely by generating patterns based on your specific measurements. Instead of adapting someone else's pattern, you start with one designed for your body.
When Adaptation Gets Too Complex
Some modifications are straightforward (length). Some are manageable with care (width). Some are genuinely difficult:
- Significantly changing shoulder width
- Converting between construction methods
- Modifying complex colorwork (stitch repeats must be maintained)
- Adjusting highly shaped garments with multiple points of shaping
For complex adaptations, consider:
- Finding a pattern closer to your needs
- Using the design as inspiration and drafting from scratch
- Generating a custom pattern from a photo
The Reward
A well-adapted pattern fits like it was designed for you — because, effectively, it was. The extra work of adapting pays off in a garment you'll actually wear.
Start simple: 1. Begin with length adjustments 2. Try width adjustments on a forgiving style (drop shoulder, boxy fit) 3. Work up to full size blending
Each successful adaptation builds your skills for the next.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I adapt a pattern for my size? Compare your measurements + ease to the pattern's finished measurements. Adjust stitch counts proportionally: (your inches × your gauge) = your stitches.
Can I mix sizes within a pattern? Yes — follow size M for bust, size L for hips, etc. Watch transition points where sizes meet and add/remove stitches gradually if needed.
What's the easiest pattern modification? Length. Just add or remove rows before shaping begins. Width changes require recalculating all shaping, which is more complex.
When should I generate a custom pattern instead of adapting? When measurements differ significantly from standard sizing, when you're between sizes in multiple areas, or when you've had consistent fit problems.
How do I calculate sleeve increases after modification? (Upper arm stitches - cuff stitches) ÷ 2 = increases per side. Distribute evenly over sleeve length: total rows ÷ increases = increase interval.
Ready to skip the adaptation math? Try La Maille — upload a photo of any sweater and get a pattern generated for your exact measurements and gauge. Custom fit without the calculations.